I've Got My Armor, You Can Call Me Heartless
by WritingIsLoveAndLife
Summary: Callie and Jude were separated after she's sent to Juvie. Jude bounces around in the system for 4 years alone, before he arrives at the Adams-Foster household. With the help of his foster family, and a new friend named Connor, can Jude re-learn how to love and live again? And what happens when a 20-year-old Callie emerges from the woodwork?
1. Prologue

**I've Got My Armor, You Can Call Me Heartless**

 **WritingIsLoveAndLife**

* * *

 **AN:** I'm back with more new _The Fosters_ story ideas. The past few days have seen me with some family obligations. I even took a trip to the zoo, which was a lot of fun.

Anyways, this is another Jude and Connor story in which Callie and Jude were separated after she's sent to Juvie. Jude bounces around in the system for 4 years alone, before he arrives at the Adams-Foster household a cold, bitter, guarded shell of the person he once was.

He meets Connor at Anchor Beach, and while he intimidates the rest of the student body, Connor sees something in him. He resolves to get to know Jude, but with Jude's defenses up that proves easier said than done.

With the help of his new family and a new friend, can Jude learn to love and live again? And what happens when a 20-year-old Callie emerges from the woodwork?

As with all of my stories, the title for this one comes from a song. The song is called Thinking Out Loud and it's by the artist JoJo. It's one of her several amazing songs, so feel free to check it out if you're interested.

Happy reading, everyone!

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg created _The Fosters_. I claim no ownership of the series or its characters. I merely respect the series and wish to pay tribute to it, while continuing to sharpen my writing skills.

* * *

 **Prologue**

The rain falls, as my social worker and I wind through the streets of San Diego, on route to yet another foster home.

My name is Jude Jacob, and I'm 16. I've been in foster care for the last 10 years, after my father drove drunk and crashed, killing my mother and the driver of another vehicle in the process.

For six of my ten years in the system, I was placed with my older sister Callie, but she's been gone for 4 years, after an attempt to stop my ex-foster father from beating the shit out of me earned her a one-way ticket to Juvie, and left me to fend for myself.

I've changed a lot since then, and not always in a good way. However, the changes were necessary to ensure my survival in the system, especially without Callie to guide or protect me.

She promised me as she was being hauled away that she would find me when she aged out of the system. That happened two years ago, by my count, and I still haven't heard from or seen her.

And so, with Callie's promised reunion failing to materialize, I've been left in the system and tossed around like a rag doll from house to house. This next placement will be my eighth in four years and my fourteenth overall.

As we pull into the driveway, I feel my social worker's gaze on me. He gives me a small smile, which I believe was meant to be reassuring, but it does nothing to put me at ease.

Staring up at the house from my spot in the front passenger seat, I'm surprised to see that it's very well kept and large, with a homely feel.

"It's nice, right?" Bill asks, snapping me out of my reverie and back to reality.

"Yeah," I admit.

Because it _is_ a nice house, perhaps the nicest I've ever been placed in. However, I can't let my guard down. The possibility that the nice house is but a mask for the horrible people inside weighs strongly on my mind.

"Are you ready to head inside?" Bill questions.

I inhale and exhale deeply before meeting his inquisitive eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be," I tell him.

He laughs. "Don't worry, Jude," he says. "I've placed kids with this couple before, they aren't going to hurt you."

"I'll believe it when I see it," I mutter under my breath quietly, as I ascend the steps with Bill trailing behind me.

Bill knocks on the door, and places his hands firmly on my shoulders. It's slightly uncomfortable, but I shrug it off. I've been in more uncomfortable situations, after all.

The door swings open to reveal two women, and two teenagers. I look to Bill hesitantly, and he nods down at me.

I step into the house, and shrug out of my tattered leather jacket and shoes, as Bill does the same, setting his briefcase down.

"Welcome," the women chorus to me. "We're Stef and Lena. We're your new foster moms. These are our kids, Jesus and Mariana. They're a few years older than you. Our oldest Brandon is off in University right now, so he can't be here."

"It's okay," I say, because this is a bit much to handle, as is. "I'm Jude. Thank you for taking me in."

"You're welcome, love," they chorus again, and I'm shocked into silence. They called me "love." I was definitely not used to that. Perhaps it's all part of the happy family act.

"Now, Jude," Bill interjects, and I brace myself for the usual lecture.

When Bill finishes his spiel, which I've heard so many times that it's practically been committed to my memory, he hands Stef and Lena his card.

"Any problems, you just give me a call, all right?" he says to them.

"I doubt we'll have problems, but thank you, Bill," the woman who calls herself Stef intones politely.

Bill nods, and with his customary remark that he'll be back next month to check up on me, he leaves the home.

Awkward silence ensues between the five of us that remain.

"Bill's gone, you don't have to pretend anymore," I inform them.

"What do you mean?" the woman who gave her name as Lena questions.

I sigh. "You don't have to continue to play happy family for me."

"But we are a happy family," the girl named Mariana interjects.

"Yeah," the boy named Jesus agrees.

Stef and Lena just smile warmly, genuinely. I can't see any of the usual tells of deception and I decide that, for now, I'll believe then.

"Okay, then, if you insist," I say.

"Excellent!" Stef and Lena chorus. "Would you like something to eat, Jude?"

My stomach grumbles, even just thinking about food. It gives them more of an answer than my voice could ever manage.

"Come, love," they beckon me. "Let's fix you up a plate."

As I tuck into the island and start on my food, it hits me that this is the most at home I've felt in 10 years.

' _I just hope they aren't playing me,'_ I think to myself.

* * *

 **AN #2:** Well, there you have it! What did you all think? This is a slightly shorter chapter than I'd usually post, but don't fret, they will get longer as we progress. I just really wanted to use one chapter each to establish each of my POV's before I really dive in to the story. This story will be told from the perspective of Jude, Connor and Callie. It will be the first time I've written Callie's POV, so it should be interesting.

If you are a fan of my other works, I can assure you that the next chapter of "But You Stood By My Side" is coming very soon. I've also started the next chapters of my other stories as well, so expect a lot of content from me in the upcoming weeks.

Until next time,

 **WritingIsLoveAndLife**


	2. Chapter 1

**I've Got My Armor, You Can Call Me Heartless**

 **WritingIsLoveAndLife**

* * *

 **AN:** It's definitely been a while, but I'm back with a new chapter, and I'm better than ever! In the time since we've last seen each other, I've finished my story "But You Stood By My Side" after over two years, I've done a few one-shots and I've started work on some more multi-chapter stories that I'm very excited about.

As it pertains to this story, however, I want to extend my most sincere gratitude for giving this story so many follows and favourites after only a single chapter. I'm beyond humbled and honoured that so many people have found and enjoyed this story, even with my severe lack of updates. Thank you!

This chapter is in Callie's POV and I'm a bit nervous because I've never written from her perspective before. I hope you all like it!

I've had two reviews posted to the first chapter since I published it, so I'll go ahead and answer those now:

 **Dugleik:** Oh, wow! I'm glad you think it sounds so ridiculously perfect without even reading it yet. That's an amazing compliment. I'm humbled and honoured beyond measure. I hope it meets your expectations!

Thanks for the review!

 **JLION23:** First and foremost, thank you for reading and reviewing the first chapter. I'm glad you'd give my story such a high rating! It's an honour to receive compliments like that.

I'll state for you, and all of my readers that I will _**NEVER**_ abandon a story, once it's been started. It just isn't in me to do that, even if it may take a prolonged period of time for me to update.

Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it!

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg created _The Fosters._ I claim no ownership of the series, or it's characters. I merely respect the series and wish to pay tribute to it, while continuing to hone my writing skills.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

That day is still seared into my memory, even 4 years after it happened. I think about it every time I'm awake, and I relive it every time I close my eyes.

I was 16 then, and my brother and I had been in foster care for six years at that point after our father drove drunk and crashed, killing our mother and the driver of the other vehicle, resulting in a one-way ticket to prison for him and a one-way ticket to foster care for the two of us.

In my opinion, he got the better end of the deal.

And if I sound slightly bitter about that, it's because I am.

6 years of hell and 2 further years in juvenile detention can do that to you, so you'll have to forgive me if I can't muster up any sort of good will towards Donald Jacob at the moment.

As it was, Jude and I made the best of the circumstances. A lot of the time, it fell to me to protect him. And protect him, I did. Even if the result of that protection earned me a 2-year stint in Juvie.

That day, it started out like any other. Our foster father and his wife had recently split up, and Jude and I were just trying to keep a low profile until our social worker Bill came to move us to what would've been our 7th placement in 7 years.

Jude and I were alone in the house, as we often were, when I heard our foster father storm in, obviously on one of his angry tirades. Although, whether it was towards his (soon-to-be) ex-wife, or just the world in general, I wouldn't be able to tell you. I generally paid no mind to the man when he was in one of these moods, and I was well on my way to yet again not giving a damn until I heard Jude scream.

That changed everything.

 **Flashback**

 _I rush out into the living room, where I see our foster father looming over Jude, who is curled up in a ball on the floor with his hands protecting his head, as he weathers the storm of punches, and kicks being hurled at him relentlessly._

 _I feel frozen, rooted to the spot, while the world moves around me. I scream for him to stop, but my desperate pleas fall on deaf ears._

 _I feel helpless, until I see the gleam of a metal baseball bat out of the corner of my eye._

 _It is instinctual. Before I know it, I'm smashing the bat into the windshield of our foster father's precious car. I think nothing of the consequences. My only concern is protecting my brother._

 _As I hear the sirens approach, I breathe out a sigh of relief._

' _It's over,' I think to myself. 'Jude's safe.'_

 _But even that thought couldn't comfort me as, despite an assurance from both Jude and myself that I had acted only out of a genuine fear for my brother's life and a formal accusation that our foster father was abusive, I was handcuffed and stuffed into the back of a cruiser, after being charged with property damage._

 _As I was dragged helplessly away, I call out a promise to Jude._

" _I'll find you once I age out, Jude," I yell with every ounce of conviction in my body. "I promise."_

 **End Flashback**

That was the last time I ever saw my brother. I have no idea where he is, or even if he's still alive, which is what brings me to the chaotic and thoroughly disorganized office of a private investigator.

I turn towards my friend and mentor Rita.

"Are you sure about this guy?" I ask. "What we've seen of his office so far doesn't exactly inspire confidence."

"He comes very highly recommended," Rita soothes. "He's one of the best PI's in the city. If anyone can find Jude, it'll be him."

"I hope you're right," I say.

"What do I always tell you about judging a book by its cover, Cal?" she replies. "You haven't even met the man. Just keep an open mind and remember why you're doing this."

As if I could ever forget. Jude has been my entire world for 10 years. I've never forgotten him. Not once.

I just hope he's okay, and that he doesn't…

"What if he hates me, Rita?" I ask quietly. "What if the PI finds him and he wants nothing to do with me?

"Oh, Callie!" she exclaims, drawing me in for a fierce hug. "I'm sure that could never be true."

"You don't know that," I argue weakly. "I made him a promise and I didn't keep it. God knows what he's been through, the things he's seen."

"You saved his life, Cal," she says. "That's something not easily forgotten. It may be awkward, but it'll work out. It's no use stressing about the future. Let's just focus on one thing at a time, okay?"

"Okay," I nod.

Just then, the PI's secretary calls the two of us back, and as I sit down in his actual office, which is much more organized than I expected, I can only help that I'm not too late.

' _I'm coming Jude,'_ I think to myself. ' _Whatever you're going through, just hold on.'_

* * *

 **AN #2:** So, there we have it! I'm actually really happy with how I was able to portray Callie, since it was my first time writing from her perspective. I'd love to hear what you all think.

Until next time,

 **WritingIsLoveAndLife**


	3. Chapter 2

**I've Got My Armor, You Can Call Me Heartless**

 **WritingIsLoveAndLife**

* * *

 **AN:** I want to thank everyone for such a warm welcome back to this story. Your support means the world. I honestly couldn't do this without you! We're just beginning, though, and there is a lot more of this story that's left to be told, I promise!

I know a lot of people have wanted an update, and I do apologize for the delay, but the past few weeks have been very rough. My beloved grandmother passed away, and I needed to grieve and be with the rest of my family, so writing has understandably not been a priority.

I thank everyone for their patience, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

I've had three reviews posted to the last chapter since I published it, so I'll go ahead and answer those now:

 **Shin-X 25:** Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and the rest of the story as we move forward! I'm glad to know several of my other stories are intriguing to you, that's always nice to hear. New updates on those stories are coming ASAP, I promise!

Thanks for the review! It's appreciated, as always!

 **Cecelia Dryan:** Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it. It's always good to know people are enjoying what you write. A new update is here! I hope you enjoy!

 **Adeline Simpson:** I appreciate the enthusiasm, and I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter. As a note, I will never leave a story incomplete once I start it; it just isn't in me to do that. Thanks for the review!

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg created _The Fosters._ I claim no ownership of the series, or it's characters. I merely respect the series and wish to pay tribute to it, while I continue to hone my writing skills.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Class is loud and chaotic as usual when I arrive and take my seat, doing my best to ignore most of the calls for my attention that echo around the room.

I've always been what one would call a popular student, but it's reached peak levels since I was named captain of the baseball team. Suddenly, every guy was jealous of me and every girl wanted some sort of acknowledgment from me.

It was kind of frightening, actually.

I'm waiting for the bell to ring and the lesson to begin, idly tapping my pencil against my desk as the chatter swells loudly around me.

It finally quiets, as the door is wrenched open, but to my surprise, it's not the teacher who enters.

"Can I have your attention, please?" Mrs. Adams-Foster, our vice-principal, asks as she stands next to a guy I've never seen before and looks around. "Where's Mr. Jennings?"

The answer to her question walks through the door, as if she had directly summoned him. He's sullen and wet, obviously having been caught in the unseasonal rain.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Jennings," she says. "I was almost about to pick up the chalk and teach your class myself, but since that won't be necessary, I'd like to introduce everyone to our newest student, Jude."

The guy just looks ahead blankly as if he could care less. He's obviously done the new student thing before. That, or he really doesn't give a damn. Perhaps it's both.

I drown out the noise, and get my first good look at him. Brown hair, brown eyes, broad-shouldered with a tattered leather jacket molded to his body by the rain.

"Thank you Mrs. Adams Foster, and welcome Jude," Mr. Jennings drones in his listless, monotone way. "You can take a seat next to Mr. Stevens, and you'll have to share a textbook until I can assign one for you for the semester."

"Okay," Jude nods, sounding completely bored in a way that makes me think he and Jennings will be fast friends.

He moves forward, and into the empty seat beside me. I push the textbook across the divide between our two desks.

He startles slightly when the book makes contact with his elbow, but relaxes quickly.

"Thanks," he says quietly.

"No problem," I say. "I'm Connor, by the way."

"Jude," he repeats.

I wait for more, but Jude doesn't volunteer anything further. Well, his name is a start, at least.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" I question.

"No," he says instantly.

"Well, welcome to Anchor Beach," I say.

"Thanks," he nods.

Well, apparently I won't be able to get anything out of him, unless it's monosyllabic, but he doesn't seem to dislike me, at least.

Which is a good thing, because he has instantly made this class much more interesting for me than it otherwise would be.

He's exactly the kind of person my father would warn me to stay away from, but that only draws me in more. He's intriguing. That he would rile my father to absolutely no end is a bonus, too.

I take a moment to look around and note that all eyes are on him, in poorly concealed interest. Some are fearful, some are swooning and some look perplexed, as if they don't quite know what to make of him.

He must feel it, all of those judgmental eyes. It'd be impossible not to.

But, if he does, he doesn't acknowledge them. He just stares straight ahead, posture stiff and formal as he focuses on the lesson.

"Alright class, welcome back from the holiday break." Mr. Jennings starts, sounding wholeheartedly unenthusiastic, as usual. " I know you're expecting to glide through this first week with very few assignments but that will not be the case in this class. I want to see where each of you are in terms of comprehension, so we'll be having a quiz. It will not be graded, but I expect you to do your best anyway."

The class groans, myself included. Leave it to Jennings to go all out on the first day back from holidays.

I sneak a glance at Jude, to find that he actually seems fairly excited about the turn of events. For what reason he would be, I don't quite know. Maybe math is a good subject for him?

Regardless, he's definitely an enigma. And I've definitely found a reason not to skip out on 1st period math.

Even if that means having to somehow learn to tolerate Jennings' lifeless, disinterested drawl.

' _God help me'_ I muse internally, as I put pencil to paper and begin my quiz. ' _Because something tells me this is one semester, I'm never going to forget.'_

* * *

 **AN #2:** Well, there we have it! This was admittedly a pretty difficult chapter to write, as it took me a while to find Connor's voice as it pertains to this specific story. I'm still not 100% sure about it, but Jude officially has his interest, so the objective of this chapter has been met, and I can move on with the rest of the story.

In the next chapter, we'll continue Jude's first day, from his perspective, and the chapters will begin to get longer, so that's something to look forward to!

Until next time,

 **WritingIsLoveAndLife**


End file.
